Conditions of Existence and Subjective Perceptions of Retirement: Quantitative Evidence from France

Abstract

This article explores subjective perceptions of retirement in France, using original quantitative data on the customers of a not-for-profit insurance company. The sample contains individuals aged 40-84, who are either in the labour force (N=923) or retired (N=705). Perceptions of retirement are measured using closed questions on views of the retirement transition (these views can be positive, negative, or neutral) and definitions of retirement (retirement can be interpreted as a period of freedom, boredom, greater risk of precariousness, etc.). Using a number of different social indicators, we examine whether differences in social conditions translate into heterogeneous perceptions. We also investigate whether social differences in perceptions fade away with increasing age. Both working-age individuals and retirees generally have a positive view of the retirement transition and often define retirement as a period of freedom. Perceptions of retirement are shaped by social conditions: a higher level of education and income, greater wealth, better health, and stronger social involvement go hand in hand with rosier perceptions. Moreover, we uncover a strengthening of this social gradient with increasing age. Finally, perceptions are positively correlated with satisfaction in various domains, for retirees.

Don’t tell me stories – the narratives of retirement and their relation with brand associations

“…We may observe such evolution of cultural codes regarding retirement, which was earlier conceptualized as an extensive unhappiness caused by the feeling of having not much to live for, and now evolved to the stage where retirement is treated as a new beginning where the life beyond work is discovered [Kloep and Hendry, 2006], with the shift toward a positive view of retirement often defined even as a period of freedom [Apouey, 2020]. Therefore, the growing complexity of the cultural ideas of retirement created the need for seeking a renewed way of thinking about aging [Coleman and O'Hanlon., 2017].…”